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Olympics·Recap

Canadian divers Benfeito, Filion win bronze in Rio synchro event

Canadians Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion repeated as bronze medallists in the Olympic women's synchronized 10-metre platform diving event in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday.

Quebec pair also won bronze at 2012 London Olympics

Jonathan Rumley · CBC Sports ·
Canada's Meaghan Benfeito, left, and Roseline Filion celebrate on the podium Tuesday after repeating as Olympic bronze medallists at the Rio Games. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)

By Jonathan Rumley, CBC Sports

Canadians Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion repeated as bronze medallists in the Olympic women's synchronized 10-metre platform diving event in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old Benfeito and 29-year-old Filion, who both call Laval, Que., home, also won bronze in the 10m synchro event four years ago at the London Olympics.

The Canadians stormed back after sitting out of medal contention after four dives, nailing their fifth and final attempt to finish with a combined score of 336.18 to rank third behind China (gold) and Malaysia (silver) at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre.

"We really just had confidence in each other," Benfeito said. "It's really not for nothing that we've been diving for 11 years together so I think that really helped us get onto the podium today."

The duo put up a score of 52.80 after the first round, which was good enough to be tied for second overall.
The Canadians received the same score in their second dive and sat in second place with a combined score of 105.60.
They sat in fourth place after posting a 74.70 dive with their third jump into the pool.
The pair were in fifth place after their fourth dive resulted in a score of 75.24.
With their final dive, the Canadians scored 80.64, leapfrogging two teams, including Great Britain and North Korea, to reach the podium.

"We knew we needed a really a good dive on the last one to have a chance at the podium," Filion said. "We went up there really calm, looked at each other and told each other, 'We got this,' and we ended up with a great last dive."

North Korean teenagers Kim Kuk Hyang and Kim Mi Rae were in position to win bronze until they botched their final dive, opening the door for Canada to snatch an Olympic medal.

China continued to dominate in diving as Chen Ruolin and Liu Huixia won gold with a score of 354.00, while Jun Hoong Cheong and Pandelela Rinong Pamg were second for Malaysia with 344.34. The North Koreans finished fourth and the British landed in fifth place.

Canada's Meaghan Benfeito, left, and Roseline Filion leaped ahead of two teams with their final dive Tuesday to win bronze at the Rio Olympics. (Phil Walter/Getty Images)
Chen, a five-time Olympic gold medallist competing in her third Games, has won every title in the synchronized 10m platform event since 2006. The win puts her on a par with compatriot Wu Minxia for the title of most Olympic diving gold medals in a career.

The pool used for the event stoked questions among divers and onlookers when it turned a strange green hue.

"It was weird," Benfeito said. "I remember getting up on the tower and [Filion] didn't want to laugh because it's not really the blue that we're used to, but it helped. It's not the same colour as the sky so that was really on our side today.

"It's water. We know that it's water down there. The fact that it was green actually helped."

With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press

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